Discovery is teaming up with Alan Alda to become the presenting sponsor of Alda’s one-year-old “Clear+Vivid” weekly podcast.
All profits from “Clear+Vivid” go to Stony Brook University’s Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science, which the actor-writer-director established in 2009 to help scientists and medical professionals communicate their work more effectively to diverse audiences.
“This is a perfect partnership,” Alda said in a statement. “Discovery delivers science programming to the world and the Alda Center at Stony Brook University delivers training in communication to the world’s scientists.”
To date, the center has trained 15,000 scientists, researchers and doctors in eight countries. “Only a few million scientists to go,” Alda quipped. “With Discovery’s support we can’t miss.”
Discovery Channel and Science Channel “have always been the home to the best and brightest in science communication,” commented Nancy Daniels, chief brand officer, Discovery and Factual. “Partnering with Alda Communication Training and the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science reinforces our commitment to inspire others to become leaders in scientific fields, from engineering, astrophysics, archaeology and more.”
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Alda’s “Clear+Vivid” podcast explores the way people relate to and communicate with one another. It debuted on July 10, 2018, and has since garnered nearly 5 million downloads.
For the podcast, now in its fourth season, Alda has interviewed over 50 influencers from entertainment, science, business, music, academia, literature and politics. Recent guests have included former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Carol Burnett, Adam Driver, Tina Fey, Sarah Silverman, Cheryl Strayed, Renée Fleming, Judge Judy Sheindlin — and the cast of “M*A*S*H.”
Season 5 of “Clear+Vivid” is slated to launch in August 2019 with guests set to include Melinda Gates, Robert Sapolsky, Brené Brown, Brian Greene and Laura Brown.
The podcast is owned and operated by the Alda Communication Training Co. (ACT). New episodes of “Clear+Vivid” are available each Tuesday on aldacommunicationtraining.com, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and other podcast networks.
Alda has acted in, written and/or directed dozens of films and TV shows, including “M*A*S*H,” “The West Wing,” “The Aviator” and “The Four Seasons.” His lifelong interest in science led to his hosting “Scientific American Frontiers” on PBS from 1993-2005.